Akticle handler



Jan. 3, 1950 w. L CASEY, JR

ART [CLE HANDLER Filed Dec. '7, 1946 I N VEN TOR.

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HTTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 195@ ZAti 1 .UNITED S ATE 2,493,108

ARTICLE HANDLER Walter Lee Casey, Jr., Banners Ferry, Idaho Application December 7, 1946, Serial No. 714,724

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to an improved article handler and more particularly to a device for use in grasping letters of the type employed for instance on theater marquees where the letters are placed to show the title of the picture being offered.

The support for these letters, usually a metal frame, is located at some distance above the street level and ordinarily the attendant requires a ladder to reach the frame and to remove or change the letters as the picture changes from day to day or from week to week.

It is the purpose of my invention to eliminate the need for a ladder by providing a device for grasping the letters so that the attendant can with the device reach the frame from the street level.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention according to the best mode I have thus far devised, but it will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made in the exemplified structure within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational View of the invention holding a letter ready for mounting.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the handle and operating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figures 4 and 5 show types of friction plates which are designed to grasp the various shapes oi letters.

Referring now to the drawings wherein I have illustrated the present preferred embodiment of my invention I employ a tubular handle 2 formed with a closed end 4 apertured at 6 to permit the movement therethrough of rod 3 which is threadedly secured in the stud Iii of the telescoping tul bular grip I2 on the handle. A coiled spring I4 interposed between the grip and the handle urges the handle to extended position as shown in the drawings.

Upwards of the handle and in ears I6 I mount At either side of the actuator I use a pair of arms 32-34 pivoted at 35-38 in the housing and intermediate the arms I employ links 49 pivotally connected to the arms at 42 and passing in front 2 and back of the actuator and pivotally secured thereto at 43.

The arms 32 and 34 pass through slots 44 in the upper end of the housing and outer ends 46 of the arms are bent laterally towards each other and pivoted at 48 to jaws 50 which may be provided with ribbed faces 52, as shown in Figure 4 or with a groove 54, as shown in Figure 5.

By shifting the grip I2 upwardly, along the handle 2 the rod 8 and the actuator 22 will be moved upwardly with it and since the actuator has upwardly converging side edges 55 forming the tapered upper end portion and the arms have inwardly offset side edges 58 the actuator may be shifted upwardly without having binding engagement with the arms. As the actuator moves upwardly the crossed links 40 which are pivoted to the arms by pins 42 and to the actuator by pins 43 exert spreading action upon the arms and move the jaws 50 away from each other so that the letter 60 may be disposed between the jaws. The spring I4 is then allowed to shift the grip I2 downwardly towards its original position and the letter will be gripped between the jaws for removal.

Through the use of this device the time and effort required in changing the marquee signs will be materially reduced and the use of a ladder will be eliminated.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A holder of the character described comprising a tubular handle, a casing carried by and projecting upwardly from the upper end of said handle and formed with openings at its top and at its bottom with an opening located at the top of the handle, arms extending vertically in said casing and having their lower ends pivotally mounted and their upper portions projecting upwardly through the openings at the top of the casing, an actuating rod slidable longitudinally in said handle, a block in said casing disposed between said arms and having a shank extending downwardly through the lower opening of the casing into the handle and connected with the upper end of said rod, the upper portion of said block being tapered from opposite side edges and at its top being formed with a longitudinally extending slot leading from its apex, a pin extending transversely in the casing and passing through the slot to guide sliding movement of the block vertically in the casing between the arms, links at opposite sides of said block pivoted at their lower ends to the block adjacent opposite side edges thereof and extending upwardly in crossed relation to 4 each other below the slot and having upper portions projecting from opposite side edges of the REFERENCES CITED tapered upper end portion of the block and piv.. The following references are of record in the oted at their upper ends to said arms and serving le 0f this Patenti to swing the arms away from each other as the UNIT block is shifted upwardly in the casing by upward ED STATES PATENTS movement of said rod, jaws at upper ends of said Number Name Date arms moved toward and away from each other 357,868 Sowerby Feb. 15, 1887 by movements of the arms, and means for shift- 634,276 Shaw Oct. 3, 1899 ing the rod longitudinally in the handle. 10 782,781 Kahler et al Feb. 14, 1905 WALTER LEE CASEY, JR. 826,160 Hall July 17, 1906 

